Looking to plan ahead

4 Apr 2023 -

Let’s welcome Looking, a new hook-up app that launched in October 2021. The company is Toronto-based but the app is universal. Other than China and North Korea it will be available everywhere.

“I do massage for a living and I have a lot of gay clients so I hear about their hook-ups,” said Eric Millen over coffee at the Second Cup, “and many of them find the whole world of Grindr to be restrictive and impulse-based. I started thinking about what Uber does, and I liked the idea of planning ahead, so you can post where and when you want to meet.”

Millen designed the site and the logo for Looking, but he needed help. He teamed up with an app developer, who unfortunately died before the site was launched, which set them back. Now, with 20,000 users, Millen is seeking for ways to expand. “We don’t have any money to market it now. We’re looking for investors. We need promotion.”

Millen suggested I set up a profile and try the app, but I have never felt comfortable using hook-up sites. I’m shy about showing my body parts, especially my face, which has been on television, and I live with my partner, and he doesn’t need that. But I told Millen about what it was like in the old days, back in the mid '90s, an era before phone sex, even. I did use a dating service once. It cost about a hundred dollars and involved mailing things to and fro, and finally I was matched with likely the only other local gay guy in their files, and of course he was completely wrong for me and I for him, and we both left the meeting with a profound sense of disappointment. Apps like Looking will help rid us of that disappointment, hopefully.

“I came up with the name Looking,” said Millen. “I hired a designer to help me create the cheeky logo with balls. We’re not profile based - you publish and it's out there. You don’t need to use a face pic. The first pic is public, the rest are private.” In many ways, Looking is meant to fill the gap left by the closure of Craigslist five years ago. There are two components - Looking, and Chating. “We have a cheeky misspelling, with Chating instead of Chatting. We considered changing it, but it’s a better fit.”

Millen is working hard to make Looking a success. “I pitched to the Dragon’s Den people last month and I’m waiting to hear back from them. I wanted to do a role play where the Dragons make their own ads. So I had Robert act as the lonely single and did some selfies of him. We had the other Dragons send replies on the app. If I can make them laugh, it might be in our favour.” 

In a world where everyone is looking for a lil’ sumthin sumthin, wouldn’t Looking come in handy? “We’re probably the most open, free app out there,” said Millen. Try it for yourself and find out.